The present invention relates to a bird decoy apparatus, and in particular to a lightweight apparatus used for simulating the behavior of birds in flight.
Decoys shaped to resemble birds have been used to attract birds to a location for hunting and viewing purposes. Prior uses of such decoys have come in a variety of forms. In some arrangements, bird decoys are placed in a stationary position on the ground or in water, and in others, a plurality of decoys are grouped together and suspended by various means above the ground, simulating a flock of birds in flight.
In one such arrangement of the latter type described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,629,442, a group of three-dimensional wire frame bird decoys is suspended on parallel wires and positioned one bird behind the other in a head-follows-tail fashion. In another arrangement presented in U.S. Pat. No. 6,044,581, several balloon-like, three-dimensional bird decoys are tethered to a string in a manner that allows a degree of flexibility in the formation of the flock, and the orientation of the individual birds.
These and similar bird decoy arrangements can often be cumbersome to carry to the hunting/viewing site because of the size and weight of the decoys themselves in addition to whatever supporting equipment they require, and time-consuming to construct on-site due to the relative complexity of their assembly. For the same reasons, it can be difficult to modify the configurations of these arrangements to adjust to weather and other on-site conditions.
It is found that a need exists for a portable, lightweight bird decoy apparatus that is relatively easy and convenient to use and yet remains attractive to birds.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide such a portable, lightweight bird decoy apparatus that simulates the appearance of birds in flight.
The present invention provides a bird decoy apparatus that includes a plurality of flat decoy panels, each panel being shaped to simulate an appearance of a bird. Each of the plurality of decoy panels are attached to a suspension line.
In particular, the present invention provides a bird decoy apparatus in which a plurality of bird decoys, which comprise individual, flat bird-like panels, are arranged in tandem, or generally wing to wing, on a linear suspension element. A leading edge of each decoy is fixed to the linear suspension element, leaving a posterior section of the decoy, designed to represent a tail section of a bird, free to move in response to wind or mechanical manipulation.
Each flat decoy panel in the apparatus is substantially triangular in shape, and includes cut-away sections which serve to accelerate air flow over the decoy panel to enhance movement and better simulate the motion of individual birds in a flock.
The tandem decoy apparatus can be configured in various forms by fixing end or middle sections of the apparatus to supporting elements such as poles. In one such configuration, a middle section of the apparatus may be supported in a position that is forward or backward relative to the ends, creating a V-shaped arrangement, which is a flock pattern commonly observed in wildlife.